Christy Martin

Martin was born Christy Renea Salters on June 12, 1968, in Mullens, West Virginia. She attended Mullens High School. She played various sports as a child including Little League baseball and all-state basketball. According to Martin, from "5th or 6th grade" she knew that she is lesbian. She was in a relationship with her basketball teammate Sherry Lusk throughout high school, of which her parents disapproved. She attended Concord College in Athens, West Virginia, on a basketball scholarship and earned a BS in education. == Professional career ==

Throughout her career, Martin was nicknamed "the Coal Miner's Daughter" in reference to her father's occupation. The headline read, "The Lady Is a Champ". Martin made a special guest appearance on the television series Roseanne in season 9, episode 6, "Pampered to a Pulp". Martin won her next eight bouts including wins against Robinson, DeShong, Marcela Acuña and Isra Girgrah. Martin lost her title in a 10-round decision loss to Sumya Anani in 1998. Martin then won her next nine fights including wins against Belinda Laracuente, Sabrina Hall and Kathy Collins. Martin won her next two fights by ten-round decisions against Lisa Holewyne and Mia St. John. Final bouts and retirement Martin announced on January 19, 2011, that she would be fighting again in hopes of her 50th career win on the undercard of the Ricardo Mayorga vs Miguel Cotto fight at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 12, 2011, against Dakota Stone in a rematch of their 2009 Fight. The fight was postponed due to a rib injury to Martin. The rescheduled rematch took place June 4, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles on the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Sebastian Zbik undercard. Dakota Stone prevailed by TKO with :51 left as Martin broke her right hand on a punch in the fourth round and could not continue. Post-retirement Martin was among the first inductees in the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2016, she became the first female boxer inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. That same year, Sports Illustrated reported that she was working two jobs, as a substitute teacher and helping military veterans find work, and that she was dealing with the after effects of her career, including lack of stamina and double vision. In 2020, she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and was elected to it in 2019, the first year that women were on the ballot. == Personal life ==

Christy married her manager, James V. "Jim" Martin, in 1991. At the time, Christy was 22 while her husband was 47. Christy referred to the marriage as one of convenience and stated her husband was emotionally and physically abusive throughout their relationship, She also claimed he used her prize money to pay for an extravagant lifestyle. ==Attempted murder==

In March 2010, Christy Martin reconnected with her high-school girlfriend Sherry Lusk over social media. Sometime later, Martin told her husband she wanted a divorce. She survived the attack. On November 30, 2010, James Martin was arrested and taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center after he stabbed himself. He was booked in Orange County Jail and charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. In April 2012, James Martin was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder. Two months later, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the mandatory minimum sentence. James Martin died on November 26, 2024, while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility. == In popular culture ==

• In 2021, Netflix released Untold: Deal with the Devil, a documentary chronicling Martin’s career and personal life. • Christy, a biopic of her life starring Sydney Sweeney, premiered in September 2025 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in theaters on November 7, 2025. Martin makes a cameo towards the end of the film. == Professional boxing record ==